Making Changes
by morninsunshines
Summary: Sequel to my story Changes and before Final Changes.
1. Chapter 1

Sequel To Changes

Strong Sexual Content

Making Changes

"I'm not camping out with you another night, Shannon."

"If I told you once, I've told you a hundred times, I'm not standing in for Taylor."

"You're dead."

In spite of the good natured kidding, both wanted home, shower and sex, and not necessarily in that order. "Remind me again, what are we looking for?"

"Shannon, We Are Looking For Copper," Wash spoke slowly and very loudly, pronouncing each word like she was talking to someone slow and hard of hearing.

"Ahhhh, that's why this rock is green, and the strata bands are so pretty," he played his part of the dumb act as he scanned the information into his plexi.

"We're done, Shannon, let's book." They loaded up their camp and pulled into the colony as the sun was setting.

Taylor and Elizabeth stood together just inside the gate as the rover came in fast and skidded to a halt, tires locking up. Taylor grinned, only his partner would drive like him, and headed to the driver's side. He roughly pulled her out into a bear hug, kissing her neck, growling he sank his teeth into the soft flesh. Wash returned the response with a hard twisting motion, spinning him into the side of the rover, pinning him with her body while she grabbed his head in a both hands, fingers entangled in his short hair. She plastered her lips roughly against his, mimicking his growls.

The Shannon's hugged and kissed normally, then turned to watch the show, still embracing and laughing at the antics of the other two. "I kind of miss the days when he would brush her off with 'I'm fine Wash'," Elizabeth would never get used to them playing so roughly with each other. They were still in a lip lock when the Shannon's grabbed Jim's gear and headed home.

"You told me, Taylor, if I found a diamond deposit, I would get a large rock from you. Well, buddy boy, she stepped back and poked him with a forefinger in the chest, Malcolm is going to make me the largest, gaudiest ring ever," she hadn't told him when calling in every night, that the first findings were diamonds, and she made Shannon promise not to tell. They both agreed they wanted to see the expressions of their significant other when told.

"Really, you beast, you held out on me. What else do you have for me?" he spoke the last into her ear, placing a kiss under her lobe, "Let's go home."

Taylor grabbed Wash's pack and duffle. "Dunham," he bellowed, "Move the rover."

They didn't stop to chat, home and sex foremost on their minds. Wash was coming to think of it as home after Taylor moved her in forcibly three months before and wouldn't let her move out. He told her he didn't care what people thought. It was a far cry from a man who used to be worried about his image. It surprised her that he was so open now, holding her hand with ease, kissing her whenever he entered a room after being parted for part of the day. Returns from OTG were much more satisfactory now; she loved the touching, but was still hesitant to show him how much in public. She preferred their intimacy to be exhibited behind closed doors, where she didn't have to watch where her wayward hands were prone to wander, usually down to grope him. A couple times she had to stop herself in public, forgetting. He knew and laughed, telling her to continue, earning him a punch.

Dropping bags inside the door, Nathaniel made the sex or shower choice for her. After six days apart on their first major separation, his tripping took them both to the floor. Rolling on top he struggled to get her armor off, while his tongue battled hers. She pushed his jacket off his shoulders, but couldn't get them out of his sleeves, "not working, let me up," she was given just enough room for his jacket and her upper clothing to be pulled off. He stripped his t-shirt off and pulled her sports bra over her head, "I'm dirty, Nathaniel," she protested as his mouth descended to suck on her breast, tongue hardening her nipple as it circled.

"Clean now," he moved and repeated the action to the other one.

"Uuummmmm, I'll make it worth your while if we can take this to the shower," a pleading. She wanted to be clean and enjoy his considerable offering with a clean gift for him in return.

As quickly as he took them to the floor, he rose, pulling her up with him. Grabbing her gun belt, it joined the growing pile. Quickly they divested themselves of everything belt level downward. She couldn't resist a pull toy as she led to the shower. Pre-cum slimed her wrist as they entered.

Short work was made of washing for both partners, "Happy?" a sharp poke to her stomach, a visible reminder he was still waiting.

Alicia kissed her way down, licking water off his mid-line from chest to groin until she was kneeling. She used her tongue to lick up his shaft like he was an ice cream cone, running her tongue around the tip, she sucked and kissed the shaft on every side never taking him in her mouth all the way. Her efforts repeated, totally preoccupied fulfilling her promise to him, teasing with her tongue before finally sucking all of him in her mouth. His ragged breathing told her he appreciated her being home.

"Alicia, unless you want a mouthful, my turn," he pulled her up and turned off the water.

He led her naked and wet to their bed. Not stopping for towels, he pushed her on her back and delved between her legs, sucking, kissing and licking all around her nerve bundle, occasionally liking a swipe and withdrawing. "Nathaniel, please," she grounded against his mouth until he settled down and finished her off. She had just started her spasms when he moved rapidly up and with force impaled himself in her.

It was over in a few shoves, "Been too long," he collapsed on top of her, "I've changed. Now I want you all the time."

"Before we started living together, you didn't want me all the time?" she pushed his weight off and reversed positions smiling at his admission.

"I did, but not like this. Now I don't have to hide our relationship and damn, I'm reverting to a horny teenager, I swear. You and Shannon OTG, all I could think about was doing this, not good. I used to prioritize."

"Maybe you're still prioritizing, just moved this to the top of your list," she leaned down and they kissed, a slow melding of lips and then tongues, he pulled her flush on top of him.

"Mmmmno, I moved you to the top of my list. I want a pedestal for you, a shrine. I never want you in harm's way again. I love you too much. You know how hard it was for me to let you go, especially with that imbecile, Shannon."

"As I remember, you forced that imbecile to go with me. Something about wanting me to come home and you trusted him with that job."

"Talking about Shannon has deflated me, I'm hungry."

"Throw the cover in the dryer, I'm washing off again," with a quick kiss Wash headed back to the shower.

* * *

><p>Wash pulled a small pouch from her backpack and settled on the couch beside Taylor after supper, "I'm looking forward to seeing what Malcolm can do with these," she poured a handful of hard rocks into his open palm.<p>

"I haven't seen anything like these since we liberated that diamond mine in South Africa. You were with me when we got a tour weren't you?"

"That's why I knew what I was looking at. Shannon had never seen a diamond rock and would have stepped right over them." The diamond wars of 2049 made owning any form of diamond illegal and all were confiscated, real and fake. Most of the colonist had never seen a diamond outside pictures or old movies. Diamonds were still mined, but used for industrial uses like cutting the hard metal for the support structures in the domes and delicate work the lazars couldn't handle. The sentence for possessing any form of diamond without a permit was life in prison. Any jewelry sporting anything close to a diamond was illegal, they disappeared within twenty years the worldwide law went into effect.

"This one looks blue," Taylor held one under the lamp for a closer look, "You'll have the first engagement ring anyone can remember," he leaned over for a kiss.

"I know Malcolm will need some for replacement cutters, but I hope there is enough for earrings and maybe a necklace," Alicia didn't request often.

"We'll have to see what Malcolm says," he knew he had to make it happen, "We'll be sending teams out to the places you and Shannon marked. I'm sure we'll find more diamonds."

"I gave some to Jim for Elizabeth."

His communicator chose that untimely moment to blare, "Damn," he grabbed it off the coffee table, "Taylor"

"Sorry to bother you, Sir. Post ten reports that Mira and her people were seen in the area."

"Did they get a direction on her?"

"Maybe back towards the colony."

"Okay Guzman, double the patrols along the perimeter. Call if you get more contact, don't matter what time," he had plans that didn't include Mira.

"Let's go to bed. We still have tonight before it heats up, unless she attacks an outpost." Going to the dryer located in bathroom, Wash pulled a dry comforter and spread it, Nathaniel going to the other side to help.

Holding her in the dark, "I love you, Alicia," he wanted her to know and told her often. After seeing her shot and regretting not doing so except in rare instances. One of his resolves after her brush with death, he wanted her to hear the words.

"When did you start loving me?" she pressed her lips to his chest, glad to be home and in his arms tonight.

"Hmmmm, as a friend since early thirties, as a woman, about two years after Ayani. Remember that function where the leaders from the Western Pact Countries met after their boring meetings, and we provided security. You had to dress up and showed up in that white dress with your shoulders bare and a slit in the side clear up to heaven. That's when I fell in love. You were the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. I don't remember my duties, I watched you all evening. I watched you break three fingers and slip out of one slimeball's grasp after another, and I was stuck in that equipment room. I swore never again would I ask my second to do that hazardous of duty without me by her side. I stayed away from you that night. I didn't want to be the fourth finger broken after you'd been pawed all evening, and I hadn't given you any indication I wanted more from you."

"I should have Cheryl make me that dress," she remembered the event very well.

"I would never allow you out of the house with it. I'd be forced to kill any man who looked at you."

"That's when you fell in love with me?" he could feel her smile into his chest.

"I fantasized only you after that, bidding my time, trying to get up the nerve to ask you to wear that dress for me. What happened to it?"

"It was rented. The military paid the equivalent of five thousand terra's for that dress for just that function."

"Best money they ever spent."

"Then why did you wait over a year to make a play?" she sucked and lightly bit his nipple, making him shiver.

"Took me that long to realize I was free to do so. I'm not the type to fool around. Ayani was my first woman and you're my second, and will be the last. My military father and grandfather drummed not sleeping around into me, Taylor pride and honor. I knew I was going to devote the rest of my life with you by the time I brought that bottle for your birthday. Once that was settled in my mind, you were considered mine as far as I was concerned. Military rules prevented me from marrying you, a subordinate, but you know that. You'll always belong to me." He leaned down and kissed the top of her head so happy she was back where she belonged, "when did you fall in love with me?" his hands rubbed softly over her naked back.

"I loved you when you came and got me out of the hospital after Somalia. I figured I'd been forgotten after three months, and then you came and wanted me back with your unit and on top of that, promoted me to Lieutenant and made me your second. I would never have let you seduce me on my birthday if I wasn't in love with you. I found out you were now available, but needed time, too soon after your wife. I was willing to give you what time you needed. My biggest fear was that you would find somebody else. That would have killed me."

"You had no fear there," he kissed her head again, "continue, how come we never talked about this before?"

"I don't think this type of opening up was high on our list of things to talk about, see, some good did come out of Lucas shooting me. I knew how deep my love for you went when you stepped through the portal and everything went to hell. I spent three months, literally living at the console while they tried to figure what went wrong. We had just gotten together and I wasn't ready to lose you. That's when I knew, I wanted to be with you forever, and why when we finally got together my favorite memory was our first time together here. I was making love with the man I was in love with and you were so forceful and made me feel wanted as a woman and not just your second."

"Want that man tonight?"

"No, I want a gentle lover, if you can."

He took her hand and put it over his arousal. She stroked up and down until he rolled her over and slid down to her spot, placing his tongue softly over her. Nobody who saw them greet at the gate that afternoon would believe the gentleness they were both capable of. When he moved up and entered her deepness, they whispered words of love until he came. Falling asleep in her arms he thanked God once again for his second chance.

* * *

><p>"Here's the info on the possible metals we found," Wash handed Malcolm her plexi. He activated the pad and transferred it with a flick of his wrist to his own. "We also found these," she handed him pouch and took great delight in his surprised expression.<p>

"Nobody can stop us from succeeding with these. You did good Lieutenant."

"If possible I would like at least half for jewelry," she picked out the pieces and set them aside.

He picked up the largest piece, "Looks like a blue. What do you want done with it?"

For the next hour they looked at outlawed jewelry from the future. Alicia chose a choker made from gold with the blue diamond cut and placed in the center. It would sit around the base of her neck with the large diamond a focal point in the front. Two smaller blues would be cut for earrings. A large white rock was to be the solitaire of her soon to be engagement ring. "I understand, Malcolm if this is just a dream and we need the diamonds for practical matters, but it's been fun wishing."

"We will find more. These are yours. You've earned them," he meant that, besides he wasn't going to face Taylor if he couldn't deliver. She was not the demanding type, so any request he took seriously.

"I can hardly wait," she left.

Entering the Command Center, Taylor was with Guzman, Shannon and Reilly. Motioning for her to join the crowd around his desk, "Mira was spotted thirty clicks out, too close, then we lost her. I'm thinking she's getting meteoric rock from the quarry. Guzman, take a scout team and check the quarry out, don't engage, stay out of sight."

Guzman left.

"Shannon, you and I are going to check the outpost out from here to ten. See if she caused any mischief in any of the buildings," he looked at Wash, "I'd ask you to stay, but won't," he left their first potential hostile situation up to her.

Unlike last time when he ordered and she resented it. Now he would accept her decision, even if he didn't like it. "Take half the troops with you."

He understood her sacrifice, "Reilly, gather A troop and tell them we're leaving in an hour," his eyes never left Wash's.

"Yes, Sir," she knew they would probably want to be alone by the way their eyes never strayed from each other; however, Shannon was oblivious so she slapped his shoulder, "Help me, Shannon."

"Uhh, sure," he finally got a clue, noticing that Taylor and Wash were staring at each other.

Alone, Taylor stalked up and stood close, but not touching, "You sure, Wash?"

"No, I want to be with you, but someone needs to be here. I didn't want this to come so soon. I'd be happy if we never heard from any of them again. I'll try and take care of the colony and hope we're not being led into another trap," he reached and pulled her to him. She hugged him close, hating his pistol between them.

"Oh, God, Wash, I love you so much," he couldn't get her close enough to him. Finally he moved his head and caught her lips with his, mouths slanted, tongues caressing. Pulling his head back, but keeping her pressed against his chest, "I won't go this time feeling like I'm protecting you. Experience taught us, you have the greater risk. This time if you need me, I'll be there. No hiding out and leaving you alone."

"Don't do anything stupid on my account, Nathaniel," a last kiss and she parted to help get the troops ready. The sooner they left, the faster hopefully all would return.

All too soon, Alicia and Elizabeth stood at the head of the column. The troops mounted and waiting for their Commander and appointed second to say goodbye to their women. Jim kissed and hugged his wife again, "Take care of the kids," he climbed in the passenger side. Taylor looked at Wash, squeezed her hand, without a word got behind the wheel. Soon all were out of sight.

Three tense days before Taylor rolled back through the gate. Guzman and his men had joined up with him along with the soldiers stationed at the outposts. A stressed Washington met him, looking for wounds on Taylor. Elizabeth greeted her husband with more enthusiasm. Both men were beat and dead on their feet, "We haven't slept much, just wanted to get it done, so pushed everyone to the max," Taylor offered a short explanation. "We followed Mira back towards the badlands. Looks like she came back to retrieve Lucas. We think he may have been holed up recovering. Guzman got close enough to ID him. She didn't mess with the outpost, but I left fresh people. How are things here, Wash?"

"We've been on alert, no activity. This may be a trial run," she slipped an arm around his waist, "Smith," she called.

"Ma'am," the private hustled up.

"Everyone who was OTG is relieved. Take care of the equipment."

"Right away, yes Ma'am," he ran off to get help.

"And you, Commander," he smiled at her through a bleary gaze, "bed"

"Come with me"

"You won't miss me. I'm needed here," she walked with him to their quarters.

"I will know you're not in my bed," he kissed her temple and went to sleep alone.

Washington oversaw the putting away of all equipment. It took hours; then she tackled the daily paperwork. Sitting at his desk, she signed her name to the last report, put the plexi in the safe, turned off the lights and headed through an empty market. Seeing it closed up, she looked at her watch, oh, that late. Slipping quietly into their quarters she crept to the bedroom. Stopping in the doorway, she watched him sleep, lying on his back. He had been asleep for about nine hours. Sitting on the edge, she ran a feathered caress with her open palm over his bare chest. She heard his breathing change and his hand covered hers.

"You need to get up and eat, you've been sleeping for hours," she leaned over and gently kissed his lips.

He gripped her hand and pressed it to the center of his chest, "This isn't going to work. I panicked the further I got from you. I kept envisioning the Phoenix soldiers returning with Mira and Lucas. Because I couldn't sleep, I made everyone suffer. Next time, you're with me. I can't believe it took me leaving you twice to understand, your place is by my side," he pulled her into his embrace for a long kiss.

Ending the kiss, "Come eat," she got up and left him to dress.

"Come back here and I will eat," he heard her laugh as she kept moving.


	2. Chapter 2

Malcolm entered the Command Center with a small parcel, "I have it, Commander." Taylor wasn't alone so he didn't say what he had.

"How much is that going to set me back, Malcolm?" Taylor reached in his pocket.

"Three thousand Terra's"

The bystanders watched in amazement as Commander Taylor drew four gold one thousand terras from his pocket and dropped them into Malcolm's open palm. Most had only heard of the gold coin. What they didn't know, it was replacement gold Malcolm used to make the requested jewelry. Malcolm would recycle the coin back into their precious stash.

"Forget how to count, Taylor?" again the botanist heard something they never expected, an acerbic question for the leader of the colony.

"The fourth is for the wedding rings, use most of it. Make them thick and heavy duty," he didn't seem upset by Dr. Wallace's tone and daring to question the Commander's counting. The botanist knew the Commander and Lieutenant were living together, common knowledge since she didn't die. The revelation that a marriage was in the works was big news, and the amount of gold the Commander freely parted with, not to mention how he let Dr. Wallace talk to him. They would have plenty to tell their spouses this day.

Taylor pushed a button on his communicator, "Taylor to Washington"

"Commander?" was heard through the small devise.

"You're needed in the Command Center, now"

"Yes, Sir," the contact was broken.

"Are we done?" he asked the botanist group who were and got up to leave. They were done when Malcolm entered and were having a question and answer session with the Commander.

They passed Lieutenant Washington at the doorway and stopped to let her in.

"Malcolm," Wash greeted him. She noticed Taylor was smiling and nodded to Malcolm.

Placing the cloth on the desktop, Malcolm un-folded the flaps. Carefully wrapped was the first jewelry made at Terra Nova, "It's much more beautiful than the pictures, Malcolm. You did a wonderful job," she reached for the necklace.

The blue cut diamond was in a hexagon shape, almost three quarter of an inch across. The band was quarter inch pure gold solid links and was heavy in her hand.

"I used the eye to cut it to the best shape and cut. The finest the experts came up with for the big blue was cushion cut. I never saw a diamond cut so went to the experts. It was too large to mess up." Malcolm enjoyed her expression of total enchantment.

She gave it to Nathaniel and he moved behind her. She looked at her reflection in the glass of the desktop when she felt the weight of the necklace. It looked like a solid band with a beautiful stone glimmering in the table top, "Beautiful"

"Yep," Taylor was staring at her.

Malcolm handed her the earrings, a pear cut with a tint of blue. She and Taylor both looked at them and she slipped them into the holes in her lobes.

Malcolm then pulled a bracelet that matched the necklace.

"I didn't see a diamond for this," she was confused.

"Jim Shannon brought the diamonds you gave him and this one matched from his assortment. He and Elizabeth asked that you have it, a gift from them," Malcolm was really starting to like Jim against his wishes.

"They shouldn't have," she didn't know what to say, but held her arm out for Taylor to attach it, "You mean they knew about this bracelet, and didn't say anything?"

Both men kept silent and let their smiles answer.

Malcolm shoved the cloth toward the Commander, "I'll let you give her the last one alone."

In a small pouch, Nathaniel pulled out the first engagement ring either had ever seen.

She gasped, "It's beautiful, but not what I expected. This is much nicer. I picked one diamond and Malcolm added two more." They found out from Malcolm it was a cushion cut with a calf head on the two diamonds to each side, making a quarter of the band diamond. It would cover the entire top of her finger in sparkling white.

Nathaniel slipped the ring on her finger and entwined their fingers. "Want me to ask you to marry me again?"

"That was a marriage proposal?"

"I'm not the type to do the kneeling thing."

"How bout the asking thing?"

"It was my first time."

"How did you ever manage to get married the first time?"

"My father asked for me. I was deployed, he helped."

"Is Lucas your son or brother?"

He started laughing.

"That was not a proposal. You were on the toilet and I was brushing my teeth. You don't know for sure if I said yes. I thought you were joking and I'd get a proper proposal," she pulled her hand away and took the ring off, placing it on the desk she stormed off.

A perplexed Taylor picked the ring up and slipped it in his pocket. Shannon found him at his desk reading, "Wash looked pissed and wouldn't talk to me. What'd you do?"

"What makes you thing I did anything?" his guilty expression gave himself away.

"First fight, huh?" Shannon didn't want to be in the middle, but wanted his new best friends to be happy and in love, like they'd been for weeks.

Taylor threw his pad down, "How'd you propose to your wife, Shannon?"

"I, uhhhh, I, why? Proposing's important. You can't screw that one up…...or you end up with a pissed Wash," he couldn't believe Taylor didn't do it right.

Taylor made a face between a smile and grimace, "I've been reading on how to propose. I kind of messed up."

"It's got to be special man. I took Elizabeth out for a dinner I couldn't afford, asked her father first."

"She say yes right off?"

Shannon nodded, "She did, we had been an item for months and wanted to get married, but still I asked on one knee in the hall of her parent's apartment. Being alone is important also. Don't ask with anyone around. Oh, God, you didn't order her to marry you, did you?"

"I actually thought about it."

"I see lonely nights in your future. If I were you, I'd fix it fast."

Taylor jumped up and headed to the door without another word.

"How'd the heck did an officer and supposed gentleman no know how to propose," Shannon spoke to the air.

The Commander searched his home and all the usual spots she might be taking her fury at him out on. No hand to hand combat was in the circle, no soldiers were hiding, "Reynolds, have you seen Wash?" he resorted to asking.

"Yes Sir, she's OTG, Sir," Reynolds stiffened to attention. The Commander was pissed when he asked and now reddened in anger.

"Alone?"

"Yes Sir, took a rover and left. Dunham asked per orders where she was going and almost got run over," why did he have to be the one to rat her out. She would get even.

"Reynolds"

"Sir?"

"When you ask that Shannon girl to marry you, you do it right, and don't forget to get permission from her father. I thought I knew everything you needed to know to court a woman. I didn't follow my own advice. Learn from my mistakes, soldier."

"Sir, yes Sir," he would get out of Wash what the Commander did. Seems like age didn't matter in treating a woman right.

He found her at the shooting range. She was fast drawing her pistol and shooting without aim. Her fast draw was unerring. He got out of his rover as she reloaded and did it again. With her hearing protectors in, she didn't hear him approach. She knew she shouldn't be upset, but that wasn't a proposal. It was obvious she didn't mean that much to him. _'That's what giving it away causes, he thinks I'm trash and a whore, and he'd be right.'_ Against her will, a tear ran down her face.

She felt hands settle on her shoulders. Without turning she knew he followed and pulled the plugs out of her ears, sniffing she rubbed her eyes. Still turned from him, "You can do better than me, Taylor."

"Great, you can help me. I require a woman who can teach survival, outshoot me with the fast draw, take over the colony when I have to leave, do my paperwork when I get lazy and go fishing," he paused, "she has to be the most beautiful woman with the sexiest body in the colony, black hair, the largest almost black eyes I've ever seen and be able to take my toughest soldier in hand to hand. Any ideas who would be that perfect?"

"I can think of several women who would love your attention, and they all have better pedigrees than mine," stupid tear.

He turned her so she was facing him, "Alicia, I screwed up. You know I love you more than my own life. If I ask you to marry me properly, will you accept?" he took his thumb and brushed the tear away, "I promise," he didn't wait for her answer, "the most expensive and fanciest wedding, anything you want in my power to provide til I die. Any man look at you, I'll kill him or woman if they offend you. You have no idea what you do to me…." he saw her smile through her tears.

"Shut up, you do that when you're nervous. How can I make you nervous?"

He looked at her like he was losing his best friend, "I'm scared you'll say no," a simple honest answer, "You're the only person I have ever done that around. It's like I don't get enough blood to my brain and it shuts off so I keep talking. I'm sure once we're married it'll stop."

"Is that another half assed proposal?"

He took her hands and went to one knee, "Alicia Washington, I'm asking you to take a demotion and do me the honor of becoming my wife. I love you, please say yes," he was sure he read all that. Women like that sort of thing, even soldier women. He read all women were the same in matters of the heart, "please, I love you, even if I screw up the most important part, the proposal. I didn't mean it," he kissed her hand and swallowed hard, looking up into her teary eyes, "I don't ever want to make you cry again, I'm so sorry," he finally ran out of words and just waited.

She sniffed and smiled, "You do have a way with words. Given enough time, you'll use them all and you do need me to care of you, so yes, I'll marry you," he stood and took the ring from his pocket.

Slipping the ring back on her finger, "Keep it on this time, Lieutenant," he claimed her lips, relief coursing through his blood, "I was so scared I ran you off," he whispered in her ear.

"I was feeling like a whore," she heard him take a deep breath.

"Never, you're a class act all the way. If you want, we'll not have sex until we're married. I'll move you back to your place. Of course, I'll sleep on your step. I'll…."

"You're doing it again," she had no plans on giving up the best sex she'd ever had, "no, we have sex."

"I love you so much," he growled into her ear, "Let's go back and show your ring off."

Sporting her new jewelry, Alicia was mobbed wherever she went and news spread fast. She told the young women of her and Shannon's find and hoped future pairings would add diamonds to longing fingers.

Reynolds stopped and pulled her aside, "I knew about the jewelry Mr. Wallace made for you. Mr. Shannon gave me my choice of rocks from his pile as long as it went to Maddy. I met him at the lab and Malcolm had already taken the last blue for your bracelet, so I took a pink colored and Maddy gets the next engagement ring," he was smiling broadly and held Alicia's hand up so he could examine the ring closely, "I need ideas of how to propose. How did the Commander do it?"

"On one knee, like you're going to, Sargent," she felt a hand on her lower back and saw Reynolds stiffen, "I believe that hand is spoken for, soldier," Taylor barked at him.

Reynolds smiled and transferred her hand to the Commander with a flourish and rushed off.

"What day are we getting married," kissing the back of her transferred hand.

"I need to have a dress made and shoes and we need to have a colony wide party that day and we are not staying here for our honeymoon, so you have to find an appropriate place."

"We should have eloped to the dome of Las Vegas," he teased.

"Elizabeth is throwing me a party," he winced.

"I don't have to attend, do I?"

"No, it's for women only. You and the Shannon men will have to have a bachelor's party, but if word gets back to me any woman was anywhere near you, I will kill you both."

"I want a bachelor's party with you, alone," he saw from her smile; that plan had merit.

"I think the night you are supposed to spend away from me, we can make a new Terra Nova tradition. You'll have to think of something you want, just for that night. It'll be just for you," she leaned into him as they wandered, holding hands, but wanting more. Both were starting to have trouble keeping their hands platonically situated so kept fingers twisted together.

"I need a cold shower," she looked down at him.

"Let's go," they took off racing or at least that's what it looked like, and didn't stop until he slammed the door of their quarters and tackled her to the floor. Pinning her arms above her head, he ground into her stomach, "You're not helping by not wearing your uniform during the day. Do you have to dress like that?" he let go of her arms and started unbuttoning her short shirt which was low cut, showing her necklace off. Her push up bra with the front opening was undone next and he stopped to peruse her breasts until she was moaning and writhing under him bucking into his hardness.

He grabbed her boots and yanked them off and undid her tight jeans. He undressed with impossible speed, his organ purple with blood. He spread her legs and roughly entered, plunging his entire length in a swift lunge. She would have bruises on her back, but wrapped her legs around his butt as he rode her into the hardwood floor. The friction of his grinding forced a surprise orgasm through her. She started moaning a fantasy as he thrust, _"I love your voice when you talk about doing me in detail. That alone can make me cum. I want you to talk against my sex until I cum all over your mouth. Your tone is so low and gravely, thinking about it just made me cum," _ Hearing her fantasy, he cursed, "Damn you, woman," and spilled, losing all control.

"I'm starting to feel sorry for Reynolds," Wash pushed Taylor off her, he was getting too heavy.

"New rules, no thinking about other men during sex," he sat up and looked at the mess once again they made of their clothes in the entry way.

"All I was saying, is Reynolds would like to do this with Maddy and doesn't get the chance you do."

"It's good to be the Commander," he relished the sight of her still reclining on the floor wearing nothing but her new jewelry, "I believe you are wearing my favorite outfit. I want you to wear nothing but it during our honeymoon," he stood and helped her up, "shower?"

* * *

><p>Cheryl transferred the gown to her plexi. Alicia asked her to the eye and called up the event where Nathaniel told her he had fallen in love with her. She didn't share that bit with the dress maker, but showed her a piece of the gathering where the camera's caught her mingling.<p>

"You broke that man's finger," Cheryl wanted to throw up at the unnatural angle of his digit when the man pulled his hand back, cursing.

"His wife thanked me later," she remembered the Canadian Ambassador grabbed her cheek, and it wasn't on her face, "can you replicate that dress?"

"I can. Luckily I came through the portal with an entire shipment of cloth. I can also make the shoes to match," she saw Lieutenant Washington nod her acceptance.

They weren't close. She had been quite surprised when the Lieutenant stepped inside her small shop. She had never heard of her buying clothing, but had some brought through the portal with each pilgrimage. "I've been told, the soldiers have their personal clothing shipped to them with each pilgrimage. I was curious where did you get yours and how was it done?" she felt this was her only chance to get information from a usually closed mouth Lieutenant.

Washington shrugged, "I was in charge of personal items for the soldiers. When the portal opened, I or someone would read the list of items back through and they would come on the next pilgrimage. The requests were taped so we talked fast. Malcolm usually took the longest with his needs. The civilians got request under different rules, but usually we tried to please everyone. The military had buyers who shopped for us, different stores."

"Do you think we'll ever make contact with the future again?"

"I don't know. It won't be through Hope Plaza if they do. I think we can find enough natural resources to replace everything we used to have shipped." They went back up the steps into the sunlight, "This is my wedding dress so keep it quiet and don't ever tell the Commander, got it," not quite a threat, but Cheryl didn't want to get on this particular woman's bad side and agreed.


	3. Chapter 3

"All right, the next game is list all the places you've had sex outside your home with the person you're currently either living with or married to. You have two minutes, Maddy time us, begin," Elizabeth laughed and told the ladies, "this is for that bottle of massage oil." The girls get to vote on what they think is the most unusual place for the winner. Skye, Maddie and Tasha were the only younger women invited and age appropriate games precluded them from entering. They were completely embarrassed, but learning ohhh so much, and to Maddy's horror her things about parents and the sex adults had with each other.

"Time," Maddy called and was amazed at how much writing all the women did, including her mother. She didn't feel so bad about her impure thoughts of wanting to do Mark behind every bush. Maybe soon they would get a chance to put some of what she learned tonight to use.

"Mom," was echoed by both Skye and Maddy when they read some of the strange places their parents had done each other. The girls conversed and agreed. On this game, the participants didn't read their places, just sent them to the girls plexi, so all the women waited with baited breath who won.

Tasha spoke for them, "First and second and third place all go to Lieutenant Washington."

"I didn't know Taylor and I were that outlandish to win all three places," Alicia wanted to hear what her competition did to lose.

"Well you were the only ones to do it on the dinosaur head, while it was still in the forest and again in the Command Center before the glass was put on, and again on top of the glass, but to make it fair, we only gave you two for the head and one for Pilgrims Tree; that was third. Sorry ladies, but rovers, forest and lakes were all covered by everyone, although Corporal Reilly came in fourth with under a broken vehicle in the shop," Tasha finished and watched Wash pour two shots and down them to the laughter of the others and place the bottle of oil near her chair.

Wash poured a drink for Reilly, "Consolation prize"

The husbands, boyfriends and a few other men including Malcolm, and Mark Reynolds joined Thomas Boylan in his back room for a male gathering. Stories were told, some about their women's prowess in the bedroom, but a lot of war stories and physical attributes they liked best about their women and carno stories. Reynolds wisely stayed silent, but enjoyed the older men's wisdom. Boylan had Josh deliver the bottles to his parent's home for his mother, and he was tending bar while Boylan made sure his special guest were well lubricated before going home. By their laughter, his efforts were a rousing success.

Elizabeth brought out a reveling red teddy and presented it to Alicia. It was seethru lace leaving nothing hidden, "We all went in and got you a little something for the Commander."

"He will like that, thank you," she held it up.

"You have to wait for your wedding night, you know," Elizabeth laughingly told her.

"Oh, you're no fun," Nathaniel was going to enjoy taking this off her. She hoped in one piece, "Cheryl make this?"

"She did, nice isn't it," Elizabeth was going to get one for Jim soon. Their twentieth was coming.

"I have her making my wedding dress. It should be done in a few days. She hoped it turned out as nice."

Elizabeth poured everyone including the girls a stiff drink, "You girls are going to need one for this next game," she laughed at their cringing; "You don't have to judge this one. Winner will be obvious. I'll start, most number of times you got your man to cum in a night. Jim came four times on our honeymoon," she laughed at Maddy who turned red and covered her hands with her face, moaning TMI.

The other's laughed as her mother joked, "just giving Mark something to shoot at, no pun intended," she high fived Wash.

The winners were, Elizabeth, Alicia and Debora Tate to Skye's joining Maddy with a TMI.

"Spent the first night I was here with the Commander in Pilgrims Tree. He made everyone else camp where the colony is now," Wash's comment on why Taylor made four times, "hundred and eighteen days and he was able."

Both girls pleaded with their mother's not to share the details.

* * *

><p>A few days later Cheryl called Wash to tell her the dress was ready for a fitting. Washington was in a meeting when the call came in. Taylor watched as she got up to leave and stopped Reilly by holding up his hand, "Where you going, Wash?"<p>

"I have something important to do."

"This is important; can't your 'whatever' wait a few minutes?"

She pretended to think, "No, this is more important, I have a dress fitting," she smiled sweetly at him to the snicker of the men.

"That's important, Sir," Reilly cut in, earning her a glare.

"That better be one hell of a nice dress, dismissed," he growled.

Wash winked at Reilly as she sauntered out.

"It's beautiful, the fit is just as I remember," she looked at herself in the full length mirror, a new white shoe peeking out around the slit. The bodice gathered in small creases between her breasts giving the appearance nothing held it up. It was form fitting down to her pubic area and fell straight, only the slit allowing for movement. The white silk exactly as she remembered, "how much?" price wasn't an object for her. Years of getting paid with nothing to buy, she was one of the wealthiest people in the colony.

Cheryl had never sold anything so expensive, but that material was in limited supply, "One Thousand Terra's," she hoped the Lieutenant wouldn't think she was gouging.

To her surprise, Washington fished in her pants pocket and held out a gold terra for that amount with a smile, "That was a deal compared to the first one."

She took it off and put her fatigues back on, "Someone will be by to get it," she thanked the seamstress and went back to work.

"I don't know about you, but I'm ready to get married," Wash returned after an hour to an empty Command Center with Taylor sitting behind his desk. Pushing his chair back she settled into his arms, kissing him.

"You're enjoying doing your own thing, witch," he secretly thought her walking out of the meeting to try on a dress funny, but had an image to maintain, "We're still on for a night before the wedding night, right?"

"Depends. Where's the wedding night?" fingers running through the nape of his hair.

"I want it to be a secret. It's a place I found once and never got back to. It's south along the coast and very protected. It's a five hour drive, far enough from Shannon so he has to handle the colony, but close enough if we have to come back in a hurry."

She stood and grabbed his hand pulling him to follow her, "I want to look at flowers."

"Uhhhh, I need to clean my pistol," but he followed the crook of her finger motioning him to come. He'd follow that finger anywhere.

Keeping a safe distance, he maneuvered the market behind his fiancée as she looked at the various flowers. Each stand seemed to offer something. He never noticed flowers before, now they seemed all over. Looking around he caught Casey laughing at him and returned with a wry smile and small shake of his head.

"Commander Taylor," glad for the interruption he looked down.

"Zoe Shannon, I haven't seen you for a long time," he dropped to one knee, "I need a hug."

"Lieutenant Washington is back. Can't she hug you?" she was very serious.

"She doesn't know how to hug," he was enjoying this.

"You need to show her how," Zoe had an idea. Running up to Washington who had moved on, she grabbed her hand.

Looking down and seeing who it was, "Zoe, what are you doing here?" she looked for who was supposed to be watching her and seeing nobody.

"Come, I got to show you something," she turned and ran back to a still kneeling Commander, looking to see if she was followed.

A very amused Alicia wondered what they were up to and came to a stop just behind her.

"The Commander says you don't know how to hug and he wants one from you," she was going to instruct her.

"He said that, huh," Taylor was grinning from ear to ear and nodding.

Zoe threw her arms around the Commanders neck giving it a squeeze and releasing, "You do it now. It's easy," she stepped out of the way and the Commander stood, waiting.

"Well, you going to hug me, Lieutenant?"

She put her lower lip out, "Nooo, I can't do it that good. You'll have to get your hugs from Miss Shannon here," her eyes sparkled.

"You can so," Zoe wasn't giving up, "what's the problem?"

"She has too many clothes on," Taylor looked at Wash, "she can't move in that jacket," he added covering his double talk.

"I hugged you in my jacket, remember when you were sad," she looked up at him.

"I remember," he toned his mirth down at the unwanted memory.

"You don't play fair," Wash couldn't leave him like that and moved into his arms. He pulled her to him.

"Zoe, there you are. I told you not to leave the clinic," Elizabeth questioned what she had been up to.

"I'm trying to teach the Lieutenant to hug and she's not doing it right. The Commander's right, she has too many clothes on."

A little shocked Elizabeth looked at the adults, only to find them holding each other and laughing, Wash laughing into his shoulder. "I'm sure that's not what they meant, but why don't you say that tonight at supper to your father. He will explain what they really mean," smirking at them she guided Zoe away.

Skye and Maddy tied bouquets of orange and white flowers up both sides of steps leading to the Command Center balcony. Wash decided the orange trumpet vine type flowers that were four inches long and white rose type flowers made a nice contrast to each other and a bouquet was designed combining the two leaving a two foot train that was the envy of Maddy. She wished it were her and Mark. Skye wished Josh wasn't so shy around her. The girls chatted as they worked; "Keep that gun away from the flowers, Smith," Skye couldn't believe his carelessness.

"I'm not going to hurt them, chill out, Skye," he looked up into the daggers of his Commander.

"Private!"

"Sir," he stopped in place halfway up the stairs.

"Miss Tate and Miss Shannon will need a strong man to help move heavy pots and anything they deem needs done. You just volunteered, Private."

"Yes, Sir, be happy to Sir," he moved to the center of the stairs and proceeded carefully to the girls.

"I'll show you how to tie flowers Michael," Skye handed him a bouquet.

* * *

><p>Nathaniel led his bride onto the dance floor. Holding her in the acceptable hold for a waltz all military officers were forced to learn, they moved to the ancient love song. A few turns, his hand slipped from hers and he pulled her to him, wrapping his arms around her waist and her arms circled his neck, playing with back of his head. Kissing softly they became the only two on the dance floor. For a time they were as mesmerized friends watched without a doubt the best wedding they attended and the couple making a dream come true after so many years.<p>

"I'm so glad you came to me last night," he whispered into her ear, "That dress haunts my dreams."

"I knew you might have a reaction in your nether region and didn't want you too distracted," she kissed him softly as they circled the floor slowly.

_It was arranged she would spend her wedding night in the dorm. She made a show of taking an overnight bag. After midnight, she slipped out and back home. He was waiting for her in their bed, light on reading a book from his pad. She went to the bathroom and closed the door. When pressed what he wanted, he finally told her to surprise him. Coming into the bedroom wearing the lace red teddy with a bottle in her hand caused him to throw his pad against the wall._

"_Ohhhhh, wow, can I touch?"_

"_Only if it comes off in one piece and not two," she watched him get out of bed naked and with a look of awe run his hands over the material, "I was supposed to wait until tomorrow, but wanted our last night in sin to go out with a bang,"_

"_It'll go out with a bang alright, more like a cork shooting out of a champagne bottle," he led her to the bed and lay her down, kneeling over her. She had set the bottle on the nightstand and reached for it, but he stopped her, "What's in it?" his eyes never leaving her scantily clad, nothing to the imagination garment._

"_Massage oil that gets hot when rubbed in. One of the better discoveries so far," she wanted to rub it over his front and back and private area, and have him return the favor._

"_That can wait for our honeymoon. I can't," he ran his fingers between her legs. Feeling something stiff between her legs, he swung off her and parted her legs for a look. He grinned when he viewed the easy access Velcro. Taking his fingers, he slipped them under the material, settling the backs of his fingers on her clit; and ran his thumb across the attachment, parting the teddy. It sprang up and off her pubic area. He worked her with his fingers, both inside and out, sliding her lace up with his free hand. He held her off by taking frequent breaks until she begged for release. Giving into her pleading, feeling her contracting around his fingers, he entered her with a hard thrust, the material riding up between them. Between thrusts he told her, "You can bring that with you and any like it. You'll tell me your fantasies involving me and each item, how you want me to remove them, what you want me to do to you," he wasn't aware, but his voice got real low and rough, driving her crazy and she came again as he talked. He with a final thrust came like he promised, a cork blowing._

The song ended and they went back to their table and were joined by invited friends to the Commander's table, the Shannon's, Tate's, Guzman and Malcolm, who married them and Reilly and her husband. Malcolm had struck up a conversation with Debora Tate and Taylor hoped maybe they would become more than friends. Skye wandered off to sit with her friends and the older Shannon kids.

"How did you come up with the idea for that dress, Wash," Elizabeth was quite impressed.

"Nathaniel brought it to memory. I wore one just like it in 2140 at a political summit," all she got out before he cut her off.

"She broke three fingers wearing that dress. I was lucky enough to be stuck in the command room, monitoring the event or she would have broken four," that drew a laugh from all at the table.

* * *

><p>He took her to a protected cove. A creek spilled over a waterfall several hundred feet upstream, ran fresh where at the mouth of the ocean combined with salt. Schools of tropical colored fish darted out of their way as they waded and explored. The rover was on the bluff and a grassy path wound gradually downward to the beach. The cove was down the beach and looked like a cave from a distance. Foliage and moss grew along crags. Flowers were in abundance. Sun didn't shine directly into the overhanging rocks, but allowed for shade loving shrubs and flowers.<p>

Taylor set up a series of land mines in case a carno or friends wandered down the path, but after ten days no visitors of any kind interrupted what they dubbed, 'paradise'.

"We're loaded, ready to go?" Nathaniel offered a hand which was accepted gratefully.

"I'm sorry"

"It's not your fault, you've been eating my cooking," he put an arm around her waist as they slowly worked down the beach.

"I don't want to get dehydrated and I've tried," she leaned against him for support.

"Dr. Shannon will find what you're having a reaction to so you can avoid it when we come back. And we are returning. You owe me another week here, alone, no clothing, lots of great mind blowing sex, playing in the water."

"I don't mean to worry you," she felt bad.

"What makes you think I'm worried?"

"I can tell by the way you say your words. I'm sure it's nothing."

* * *

><p>"There's an old saying," Dr. Shannon looked carefully at the biobed scanner, "the first child can come anytime, the rest take nine months," the blank looks made her want to laugh, but she pretended to study the monitor closely, "I would say you're going to have to explain seven and a half months to your, you do want to know now?" God, she loved her job.<p>

"It better be a boy," Taylor caught on, "I'm going to change our wedding date if it's a girl," he took his wife's hand. She hadn't spoken. Maybe she didn't want it. They never talked about having kids. He figured he was too old, but he was only fifty two.

"I never thought my illness was a baby," she spoke so softly they almost missed it, "I took a bullet in Somolia to my uterus. I was told I couldn't have children. Can I carry it to term?" she felt Nathaniel squeeze her hand and returned his action.

All business now, Dr. Shannon pulled the uterus to her plexi and enlarged the lining and looked for any abnormalities that would prevent stretching properly. She saw scarring and bit her lower lip. They took that as a bad sign and Alicia teared up. Now she knew her usually stoic emotions were hormonal, like when she over reacted to Nathaniel's proposal.

Nathaniel leaned over and kissed her tears before resting his forehead on hers, "I don't care if we can't have kids, but I can't live without you. I will not allow you to risk your life even if it means our baby."

"You don't mean that, Nathaniel."

"I don't feel too secure in the father department. I did sire Lucas. I chose wrong once."

"I'm not aborting. If I can't carry, I'll accept that," she got cut off.

"There are risks, your age, the damage to your uterus," Dr. Shannon showed them a starburst pattern of scar tissue, "with luck this will just push out, but it will tighten and may cause premature labor. There will be pain I can't give you anything for. Alicia, if you want to try I understand. I wouldn't abort at this stage on fear. It may go better than we think."

To Be Continued


End file.
